Kathryn M. Ireland Lookbook

A star on screen, she designs exotic looks in seaside homes.

The core of her aesthetic is "California coastal meets English country," says Ireland, but don't be surprised to also find elements from countries such as Morocco, India, and Mexico mixed in.

Textile Talk

Leave it to fabric guru Ireland to bring new and vintage textiles from across the globe together on one sofa and still make it look perfectly polished. "In a successful room, not one thing is in your face," she says. "You can have a lot of bright textiles that don't compete with each other, they just have to share a connection, like a common color."

Bright Ideas

When working with bold colors, artwork, silhouettes, or accessories, sometimes the key to a successful design is restraint. "I think of myself as an editor," she says. "Clients often know what they like but are not sure how to make it work in their home. I make it happen."

Chilled Out

A cozy bedroom in Sanibel Island, Florida, is decked out in sunny shades and furniture that invites guests in for post-beach naps or afternoon reading. "I pride myself in creating rooms that don't look overly precious," she says. "I design very much with the client's lifestyle in mind."

Outta this World

Ireland decorated the bedroom of this Malibu home with patterned textiles and furniture from foreign destinations such as Mexico, Morocco, and Japan. The key to making them work together, she says, is embracing diversity: "It's important to not keep it all chintzy English or all Asian," she says. "It looks more collected when different styles are mixed."